


The Prisoner

by paynesgrey



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-28
Updated: 2011-02-28
Packaged: 2020-10-21 09:15:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20691077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paynesgrey/pseuds/paynesgrey
Summary: Draco faces one of the prisoners at his family's manor. Takes place during "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows".





	The Prisoner

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the "escape" theme for [](http://fanfic-bakeoff.livejournal.com/profile)[fanfic_bakeoff](http://fanfic-bakeoff.livejournal.com/).

Draco wasn’t supposed to come to the dungeons. He was ordered specifically by his father that the Dark Lord would torture him if he disobeyed.

Draco scoffed. He sometimes thought that torturing was better than living right now. He blamed himself, and he regretted many decisions.

Mostly he was ashamed, but he turned such feelings into courage to visit their prisoners and face his shame.

The others were asleep, but he noticed the wide, curious eyes of Luna Lovegood from the dark, once a fellow student and now a prisoner in his home. He shuddered from the sick thought, and out of all the emotions he dared not feel, compassion was the one that came through the strongest.

Draco avoided her eyes as he set the food in front of her. He felt her stare as hard as the bitter cold of his family’s dungeon, but he did not openly acknowledge her. She crawled out from the shadows and watched him curiously before taking the food.

“Thank you,” she said graciously. After all the terrible things they had done to her, Draco was awed that she still managed to be polite.

Draco grunted, quickly turning away as the air became more awkward between them. When he was partially up the stairs he heard her soft, ethereal voice again, like a siren’s song that beckoned him to come closer and to stay with her through this ordeal. He didn’t know how she did it – it wasn’t some rudimentary spell without a wand, and he’d never been in her presence long enough to feel anything from her.

“You’re not a monster, Draco,” she said, and as he tried to resist her melodious voice, he couldn’t escape the gravity of her words.

Despite Luna’s encouraging observation, Draco felt it impossible to believe her.


End file.
